Soak in the Arts

MUSIC ON THE GREEN

Noteworthy for its family-friendliness and ease, this longtime summer freebie brings different regional performers to Kiawah’s Freshfields Village lawn every Friday evening at six sharp. Pull up beach chairs or a blanket and chill to a variety of acts, including beach bands, acoustic rockers, and party groups like Permanent Vacation. Picnic baskets and coolers are welcome, or grab dinner to go from one of the shopping center’s many restaurants, such as La Tela Pizzeria, Hege’s, Ladles, The Station Deli, and The Village Market. Late July introduces Fuji Sushi and Cantina 76’s Tex-Mex cuisine to the takeout mix. www.freshfieldsvillage.com, (843) 768-6491

Cool tip: When summer is fully in swing, the crowds amp up, so arrive 30 minutes or more before the concert starts to nab a slice of green for your chairs and blankets.

FABULON

With approachable hands-on classes, this West Ashley community art center, tucked into a squat industrial building on Wappoo Road, has crafted an enthusiastic following in its two years. Director Susan Irish’s background in education enhances Fabulon’s workshops, including Art Night Out, offered every other Wednesday in the summer. Join 15 or so makers of all skill levels to create note cards, paint wineglasses, dye scarves, and learn drawing methods. The sizeable classroom also migrates into a gallery space. While there, check out this season’s show, works by North Charleston portrait painter Robert Maniscalco inspired by the Flint, Michigan, water disaster as part of his Quench Project to raise awareness for the global water crisis. www.fabulonart.com, (843) 566-3383

Cool tip: While you don’t need to register ahead of time for the 6:30 p.m. drop-in Art Night Out, plan to pay with cash or check at the door.

GIBBES MUSEUM OF ART 4

There’s a new tone to the Gibbes, thanks in part to a $13.5-million remodel of the Beaux Arts building, but also to a new partnership with Charleston Jazz (formerly Jazz Artists of Charleston). This summer, the Almeida Lecture Hall hosts a trio of evening performances, with some of the city’s most talented musicians taking cues from its oldest art museum. Sip wine or beer from the first-floor café and relax to the sounds of piano, saxophone, bass, and drums. Concert attendees can peruse the museum’s newest exhibitions, including a portrait showcase dubbed “Artists Painting Artists,” “Out of the Wild” exploring animals in contemporary art, and a collection of artists’ impressions of Charleston’s upper East Side neighborhoods titled “Perspectives on Place.” www.gibbesmuseum.org, (843) 722-2706

Get with the Program:
June 14: The Duda Lucena Trio
July 19: The Demetrius Doctor Trio
August 16: Lewis/Gregory/Wiltrout

All shows start at 6 p.m.

Cool tip: Renovations to the museum created studio space for visiting artists on the ground floor, which is free to the public. Stop in on weekday afternoons or Saturday mornings to chat with this summer’s artists-in-residence, Charles Williams (through June 10) and Becca Barnet (the last week of July).

CANDLEFISH

Since Candlefish opened its doors downtown in 2014, the friendly and knowledgeable chandlers have been illuminating class-goers with monthly candle-making workshops. This spring, their curriculum grew to include a couple new options. The essential oil and fragrance-blending program makes note of the shop’s library of 100 fragrances, which are divided into families like citrus, epicurean, floral, and oriental, and gives participants the opportunity to create a custom scented candle. The vintage vessel workshop presents an array of teacups, tins, and bowls in which partakers can pour the scented wax of their choosing. www.candlefish.com, (843) 371-1434

Cool tip: Participants’ candles have to rest overnight, so you’ll have to wait until the following day to bring them home. If needed, the shop will look after your creation for up to a week.

34 WEST THEATER CO. & THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF LONDON 

Tune in as 34 West channels world-class productions from across the pond. A few times a month, on its dark nights, the 50-seat venue screens recordings from The National Theatre of London, which broadcasts live performances from the Royal National Theatre, Old Vic, Barbican Centre, and more. It’s like movie night with your mates, with a British bent. Gather around bistro tables and enjoy wine, champagne cocktails, and snacks prior to the show and during intermission. Well-known titles like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring Imelda Staunton (July 16-17) and Angels in America with Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield (August 20-21 and 27-28) sell out several days in advance, so be sure to purchase tickets early. www.34west.org, (843) 901-9343

Cool tip: Some of the best seats in the house rest smack in front of the screen, where the theater sets out comfy floor chairs that put you that much closer to Jude Law (Obsession, June 18-19). Line up just after six to snag an ace spot, as doors open at 6:30 p.m.

REDUX

This spring marked a change in medium for Redux, as the 15-year-old contemporary art nonprofit moved into the 16,000-square-foot hangar warehouse at 1056 King Street. And with twice the space comes three times the artists, diverse in both age and art. In early June, see these painters, printmakers, smiths, illustrators, and photographers at work during an open-studio celebration. Want to get your hands dirty? In addition to a full schedule of creative kids’ summer camps (circus arts, anyone?), the organization hosts evening and weekend workshops such as introductory oil painting, figure drawing, screen printing, and photography in its expanded classroom. www.reduxstudios.org, (843) 722-0697

Cool tip: Into dramatic arts more than visual? One Friday a month, Redux stages Rip City, a sketch comedy show with an ever-changing lineup of local funny folk. (June 23, July 28, and August 25)

BROOKGREEN GARDENS

Since 1931, this verdant landmark has flourished not only as a grand horticultural showcase but also a cultural cache. The formal gardens, including the butterfly-shaped Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Garden, beautifully frame more than 2,000 figurative sculpture works by hundreds of 20th- and 21st-century American artists. The collection has become the largest and most comprehensive in the country. Through July 23, the Rainey Sculpture Pavilion hosts an exhibit of newly acquired pieces by late sculptors Stanley Bleifeld, Marion Roller, and Domenico Facci. And beginning August 5, the National Sculpture Society highlights professional masters and newer notables in its annual juried exhibition. Be sure to vote for your favorite to win the popular People’s Choice Award. www.brookgreen.org, (843) 235-6000

Cool tip: Tickets to the property are good for a week, so aim to visit several times rather than rushing through the 9,100-acre site’s abundance of treasures in one day. From mid-June to mid-August, the gardens remain open late with evening concerts and creek cruises.

THE WINDJAMMER 4

On top of ice-cold beer and a relaxed vibe that’s hooked listeners for more than four decades, this grungy Isle of Palms oceanfront bar is known for a casual, intimate stage that attracts local, regional, and national acts. The Front Beach dive marks its 45th refrain this summer with celebratory concerts from a wave of notable headliners, including jam band Cowboy Mouth (June 9-10), alt-rock group Cracker (June 16), Atlanta-based Southern rockers Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ (June 17), local Stop Light Observations (June 30), and Greenville-born crooner Edwin McCain (July 1-2). On July 4, The Clarks promise fireworks with good, old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll. And closing out the season with a bang is a day-long birthday bash of bands (August 19)capped by a reunion show of The Groovy Cools, a Charleston power trio from the ’80s and ’90s known for its edgy pop hits. www.the-windjammer.com, (843) 886-8948

Cool tip: Kick up your heels every Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m., when the venue hosts the East Cooper Shag Club’s Beach and Shag Party.

{MORE LIVE MUSIC}

Concert Calendar

Tedeschi Trucks: June 14, North Charleston Performing Arts Center
Slightly Stoopid: June 23, Riverfront Park
Collective Soul with Our Lady Peace and Tonic: June 24, Volvo Car Stadium
Cody Jinks: July 12, Charleston Music Hall
Rebelution: July 21, Riverfront Park
Hank Williams, Jr.: July 22, Volvo Car Stadium
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: July 23, North Charleston Performing Arts Center
Gov’t Mule & Galactic: August 4, Volvo Car Stadium
Mary Chapin Carpenter: August 9, Charleston Music Hall
Hootie & The Blowfish: August 11-12, Volvo Car Stadium
Paul Thorn Band: August 11, Charleston Music Hall